Kevin Milne: The best in-flight entertainment - the views

What do you do to pass the time on a plane? 

Kevin Milne has just returned from another trip to Christchurch, flying back home yesterday after attending a family funeral. 

The flight path takes them right alongside the Southern Alps and Kaikoura Range, a stunning view that much to Kevin’s surprise, was being mostly ignored by other passengers. 

He joined Jack Tame with a question: why do people read books and magazines when there are astonishing views outside the window? 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Team podcast
from News Talks That Be.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Kevin Mills with Us today to Kevin.

Speaker 3 (00:15):
I loved your piece about the family, the old family videos. Yes,
I've been very much involved with family. I was back
down Christ since week for the funeral love my nephew, Yes,
my nephew.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
I'm sorry.

Speaker 3 (00:31):
I have a brain tumor. Just fifty three, Jeremy Rathmand.
So it was sort of very matter riki in its way.
It's you know, celebrating memories of a life. Yeah, yeah,
it was yeah, very very special time down there.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Oh, I'm really sorry. I know there was always a
sort of strange turn of experiences with these things, isn't it,
because it is always special when family are together, and
sadly it's those moments sometimes when we are together, but
neverthet less. Fifty three is terribly young. So I'm really sorry, Kevin.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
Yes, no, it's well, I just hear the Cancer Society
advertisement on just before we came on there, and I think, yes,
it's awful. But Jeremy had a great he had a
great life, and we celebrated that and celebrated each other. Yeah,

(01:28):
and got down to Christ Church again, which is uh,
it was a real bonus.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Always special. Yeah, and speaking of christ Itch, you've been
somewhat mystified by something you observed flying back.

Speaker 3 (01:40):
Yeah, I flew back home, said on a christ Church
to Palmerston, North Plain. There's been such a huge dump
of snow in the south that the Southern Alps has
covered seemingly right down to ground level at the moment.
You'll have noticed that, because when you were on you
probably didn't see it. Coming into Wellington, the weather was perfect.

(02:00):
The mountains looked sensational, not just the Southern Olks, but
right up through the Cacura Range, absolutely beautiful. Because we
were flying to Parmers the north, we were on a
smaller plane, not flying so high. This made the vista
even better. I was mesmerized. Unfortunately I was on the
wrong side of the plane to the mountains. But I

(02:23):
saw past the passengers across the eye, across the aisle.
Why because most of them were reading a book or
a magazine, except for the kids next to a window.
They stared out and wonder what is so good about
a book or a mag that distracts passengers from gazing
at the incredible images tourists from all over the world

(02:47):
come to New Zealand to sea. It's not like the
mountains are covered in snow and the skies perfectly blue
every time they catch a flight. Yesterday, it was a
sensational day for flying. I admit to being a little
bit obsessed a staring out plane windows. It drives me
nuts when I'm flying over interesting territories like Russia, Ukraine, Poland,

(03:10):
Germany and you get dirty looks because you're the only
one that doesn't have the shade down on your window.
Everyone else is trying to get some sleep, and I'm
sitting there with a map on the phone, trying to
identify major landmarks on the basis that I may never
see them again. But none of those views over Europe

(03:30):
are more dramatic than over New Zealand's southern Alps after
a massive snowstorm, especially flying lower on a smaller plane. Jack.
Everyone can do what they like, of course, I just
don't get why people aren't staring out the window transfixed asion.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
That is such a good point, Kevin, and I think
there are a couple of critical elements in your experience.
Number One, hit the nail on the head, small plane,
so because if you're at thirty thousand feet as opposed
to those atrs, what do they fly at maybe twenty
or fifteen or something like that, not nearly as high, right,

(04:10):
So it's much more sort of intimate when it comes
when it comes to the mountains. But also the route,
because you were flying from east coast to west coast.
I wonder if you've got a slightly if the flight
path took you slightly closer to the southern Alps than
you know, even if you were flying christ Church to
Napier or something like that, you wouldn't have had you

(04:30):
wouldn't have anything like it, right, But because you were
flying east coast to West coast, you probably had the best,
the best shot at getting a really good glimpse of
the Alps and being on a small plane.

Speaker 3 (04:41):
Yeah, because they're.

Speaker 2 (04:42):
Just they're just I think there are any jets, aren't
they that going to Queenstown. So I'm just thinking about this,
only jets to go into Queenstown. So if you're going
to be on a small plane, the best chance you
probably have is christ Church to Palms North to get
a rially good view of the Alps.

Speaker 3 (04:54):
I reckon you nailed, Yeah, Yeah, or christ Church into Wellington.
Some of those smaller plans do go into going to
Wellington christ Church as well.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yes, but you're going slightly for the west, aren't you
for PARMI well, yeah, you know, yeah, I mean, how amazing. Yeah,
I'm with you for something like that. I remember many
years ago flying over the Andes in South America and
having the same experience and just thinking like, why is
no one looking out the window right now? He is

(05:24):
the most extraordinary stuff And it's amazing. How you can
you know, I suppose just in this one day and age,
when we've got lots of things competing for attention, people
kind of take it for granted a bit totally.

Speaker 3 (05:36):
It is a funny old thing, but I mean it's yes,
yesterday was one great day for flying, you know. Yeah,
And I almost felt that's definitely happened, grabbing them, grabbing
the microphone and saying excuse me. But if some of you,
if you look out the window, you may see some
of the most remarkable search you'll see in your life.

Speaker 2 (05:56):
Yeah. Yeah, that book, here you go. Apparently I'm wrong
that there are eighty hours that go into Queenstown, says James.
He's in Queenstown, so he knows. Apparently the Christian to
queenstownders the ATR, so that would be a pretty good
view as well. Hey, thank you so much, Keivan. I'm
glad you got home safely, and again, I'm really sorry
to hear about Jeremy.

Speaker 1 (06:15):
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